Foot-ball helmet.



S. HIPKISS.

FOOT BALL HELMET.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2a, 1913.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

'Zi'ineeses SAMUEL H-IPKISS, OF. STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOOT-BALL HELMET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Application filed Apr-i928, 1913. Serial No. 764,057.

Toallwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HIPKISS, a citizen of the "United States, residing at Stoneham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot- Ball Helmets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, ,such as Wlll enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvementin football helmets.

The object of the invention is to produce a helmet of improved construction, greater durability and'reduced cost of manufacture than those heretofore in use.

To the above end the present invention consists in the football helmet hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims. a

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the helmet; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 3' is a perspective view of the shaped felt interlining; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the shaped lining; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view -of the shaped felt interlining and lining ready to be assembled.

with the shell.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is described as follows :--The invention relates to the construction of the helmet or head-protecting portion of the helmet, in which the outer shell 1 of leather is formed'of a single, integral, unseamed and shaped piece of leather of the finished shape of the exteriorof the helmet. The felt interlining 2 is a correspondingly shaped piece of wool felt pressed to fit the inside of 'the shell 1. The lining 3 also consists of a single piece of soft leather shaped to fit the inside of the felt i'nte'rlining 2. The shell, the felt interlining and the lining, having been shaped or formed to substantially the finished form which they are to have in the completed helmet, are assembled by placing the lining inside of the felt interlining and bending the lining back over the edge of the felt interlining, as shown in Fig. 5.v This is then assembled inside of the leather shell, and the three pieces, to wit, the leather shell, the felt interlining and the soft leather lining, are united together by a single seam of stitches 4 extending around the entire margin of the shell, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. This completes the helmetproper. The ear pads and chin strap are attached in the usual manner. The ventilating holes in the helmet are punched after the helmet parts are assembled and sewed together, such ventilating holes being in alinement through the several layers making up the structure as shown in the drawing.

In'helmets as heretofore constructed, the outer shell of the helmet has been provided with a number of seams of stitching sewed in the leather. These seams are objectionable, not only because such seams are weaker than solid leather and therefore liable to burst out in use, but also because of the capacity which such rigid protuberances on the surface of thehelmet have for injury to other players with whom the helmet is liable tocome in violent contact. This helmet therefore presents the advantage of having an integral leather shell unbroken by seam sutures or joints, thus presenting not only a pleasing appearance but a stronger and more durable helmet. In addition to these advantages which this helmet possesses, the fact that the several parts,

namely, the shell, the felt interliningand the lining, are all shaped from single pieces of material, the cost of the helmet is materially reduced. This'is an advantage of considerable importance, as it reduces the amount of labor'required in manufacturing the helmet considerably. The simplification of the operation of making the helmets also contributes to this end.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A football helmet having an integral shaped unseamed leather shell, an integral shaped unseamed felt interlining, and an integral shaped unseamed lining having its edge bent or upturned aboutthe lower edge of the felt interlining, the parts being united by a single seam of stitches around the margin of the helmet and passing through the leather shell, the felt interlining and the upturned edge of the lining, substantially as described.

-2. A football helmet having an integral shaped unseamed leather shell, an integral shaped unseained felt interlining, and an edge of the lining, the several parts of the integral shaped unseamed lining having its structure being provided with ventilating edge bent about the lower edge of the felt holes alined therethrough.

. interlining, the parts being united by a sin- SAMUEL HIPKISS. 5 gle seam 0f stitches around the margin of Witnesses:

the helmet, and passing through the leather JAMES F. GUILHQP,

shell, the felt interlining and the upturned GEO. E. STEBBINS. 

